Out of the Shadows (Bellingwood Book 12) by Diane Greenwood Muir

Right here where it hurts." She grimaced. "You know what I mean."
    "Yes I do. I think it's wonderful you’re finding ways to meet more friends. And Sandy could definitely use some of those, too."
    "Did you hook her up with Jen Dykstra?" Polly asked.
    "Who me?" Lydia grinned. "Would I be so conniving?"
    "Absolutely. It's what you do and you've perfected your technique."
    Lydia put her hand on Polly's cart and pushed it out of the way of a young woman with her little son. "How are you doing? Aaron told me how bad things were on Saturday. I haven't had time to check on you. I haven't had much time to do anything lately." She gestured around the shop. "As evidenced by the fact that I'm here trying to decide what's for supper."
    "That's what I'm doing too," Polly said. "Well, that and I escaped the house before I screamed. Young boys will be the death of me."
    "Heath?" Lydia asked.
    Polly nodded. "Yes. And Jason. They frustrate me. Some of it’s because I didn't raise Heath and now I'm trying to force him into a mold that makes me comfortable. He stayed in Boone for some reason and didn't call me first. I would have thought that was common courtesy, but I would have thought wrong."
    "You are the guardian and you get to make those kinds of rules," Lydia said with a smile. She picked up a batch of bananas. "Two days and they'll be perfect for bread."
    "I know I am, but I feel like such an ogre when I push him. I don't have to know everything, but I want to know enough so that I can take care of things before they fall apart."
    "No you don't, dear. Sometimes things falling apart is the only way kids learn. Let him fight his battles, let him fail, let him grow up. Don't do it all for him."
    "Hasn’t he already been through enough?" Polly asked.
    "He had a crisis and faced down what most of us would call abuse. But don't let those things cause you to treat him with kid gloves. If you expect him to call you first, be consistent and insist on it. The boy isn't broken, he's wounded. Give him boundaries, follow through with expectations and be consistent. That's what he needs."
    Polly sighed. "I don't like being a parent."
    "It's not an easy job," Lydia said. "But you're fine. Trust me."
    "So can I ask you something even though I'm not supposed to?" Polly asked.
    "Sure, what's that?"
    "Has Aaron said anything about the body I found on Saturday? Do they have any idea who it is yet? Is there anyone missing?"
    "He hasn't said anything to me," Lydia responded. "But that’s not surprising. They probably don't have much information yet. Things are slow on Sundays and I haven't seen him yet today. Do you want me to have him call you tonight?"
    "No, that's okay. I shouldn't press. It's not my business."
    "Fiddle faddle," Lydia said "You found the poor soul, the least Aaron can do is keep you up to date on what he knows. But the truth is, you always seem to be part of the investigation anyway. You'll know more than I will in a day or two. Right?"
    A sheepish grin stole over Polly's face. "Yeah. You're probably right. I'll be good.
    They'd pushed their carts around the store and while Lydia had filled hers, the only thing Polly had was a few tomatoes and a package of pork chops.
    "That's going to be sparse eating," Lydia said, pointing to Polly's cart.
    "I knew I wasn't paying attention. I'd better walk through again," Polly said. "I'll see you later."
    "Andy and I are going to start bringing things in tomorrow for the Haunted House. We need to dig through the shed and make sure everything is still in good shape."
    "What's the new addition this year?" Polly asked.
    Lydia smiled and put her groceries on the counter. "You’ll have to wait and see. We never get to surprise you."
    Polly gave a little wave and turned back into the canned goods aisle. She needed to focus on one thing now. Dinner.
     
    ~~~
     
    After dinner, Henry said, "I can either clean the kitchen or walk the dogs, Polly. You choose." He grinned at Rebecca. "You get to help the